WINNIPEG Manitoba is reporting higher rates of COVID-19 among health-care workers and younger people as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads rapidly across Canada.
WINNIPEG Manitoba is reporting higher rates of COVID-19 among health-care workers and younger people as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads rapidly across Canada.
(File photo)
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Extreme caseloads, a shortage of enough healthcare staff, and patients who do not want to get tested are contributing to Manitoba s current healthcare strain.
The province is speaking with the Canadian Armed Forces, North Dakota, and Saskatchewan to transport COVID-19 patients for care.
Dr. Perry Gray, Shared Health s Chief Medical Officer, says in a media briefing on Tuesday morning at least 18 patients have been transported to Ontario, with the province in conversation with other jurisdictions to care for a growing number of Manitobans needing care. We are the worst in North America. These numbers, while smaller and absolute, are large and my point is the importance of public health measures, and not to be fooled just by the smaller numbers, Gray says.
(File photo)
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Extreme caseloads, a shortage of enough healthcare staff, and patients who do not want to get tested are contributing to Manitoba s current healthcare strain.
The province is speaking with the Canadian Armed Forces, North Dakota, and Saskatchewan to transport COVID-19 patients for care.
Dr. Perry Gray, Shared Health s Chief Medical Officer, says in a media briefing on Tuesday morning at least 18 patients have been transported to Ontario, with the province in conversation with other jurisdictions to care for a growing number of Manitobans needing care. We are the worst in North America. These numbers, while smaller and absolute, are large and my point is the importance of public health measures, and not to be fooled just by the smaller numbers, Gray says.
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Nurses are training to care for critical care patients to adapt to large spikes in patients.
Eighteen more critical care beds have been created with nursing staff training for two weeks to support this move. Sixty staff members are moving to critical care, leaving a gap in their previous positions. The province says staffing is the biggest limitation to critical care capacity. Part of this is due to medical staff getting sick and requiring time off work.
(Government of Manitoba) We are going to have to watch this, Chief Nursing Officer Lanette Siragusa says. It is not exactly cookie-cutter the same as last time.